ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kirtankumar Dalwadi, 27, an Indian citizen, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for his role in a law enforcement impersonation program.
U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
In a previous guilty plea, Dalwadi admitted that in June and July 2021, while he was temporarily residing in Albany, he was contacted by known scammers in India, who asked him to collect amounts of US currency from several locations in the eastern United States , and to transport and deliver the currency to various people in New Jersey.
At the request of Dalwadi’s associates, he raised $250,000 in Niskayuna, New York, $60,000 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and $30,000 in McKee, West Virginia, and shipped most of that money to people in New Jersey. Victims in Niskayuna, Pennsylvania and West Virginia fell victim to law enforcement impersonation scams and were falsely led to believe that paying cash would get them out of legal troubles threatened by the scammers. When he pleaded guilty, Dalwadi admitted he knew the victims were being swindled.
Dalwadi was originally arrested by Watervliet Police in July 2021 while trying to pick up a Fedex money package sent by a potential victim in New Mexico.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Dalwadi to pay $340,000 in damages and forfeit an additional $12,000. Dalwadi, as an Indian citizen with no status in the United States, is also being involved in a deportation (deportation) proceeding.
HSI was investigating this case with the Niskayuna and Watervliet Police Departments. Assistant US Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted the case.
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